The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-02-02

hog chOlera-here we seldom see a
case. We have farmers right here
in this community who have the
feed and ample facilities for feeding
stock to as much profit as any where
west. Raise clover for your land
and for stock feeding and we will
soon have land rich enough to make
farming easy and profitable.
DIR. J. Bird 1t is true that the
eastern farmer is burdened by mort
cages and debt. There is much an
xiety among our own farmers about
their future prospects, as adverse
seasons, short crops and low prices
have been disheartening. But the
East is not any worse off than the
West in these respects. Thousands
of the western farmers are strug-
Cling under heavy mortgages on
land and farm implements held by
eastern capitalists. Admitting that
they make more grain per acre then
we do, they are SO far from market
that the freight and commissions to
middle men and the grain sharks
gulp up the bulk of the smaller farm
ers And even if they do ship such
large quantities east their margin of
profit is SO small that they are but
little benefited We have the ad-
vantage of them in the great variety
Of products that we can grow, and
market in their crude state. The
western farmer is compelled to feed
his hay and gran and make beef and
pork that can be marketed at dis
tance. We can make pork and beef
and clover as cheap as they can with
their corn by feeding very little
grain, We, have variety of mon
ey crons while they have but few
the eeeitsstine wheat and western
corn. Eur In q products, orchards
and stiassll si'assts si.e Sources. OF profit
that leNtefsd thausgh the entire year.
There is a ready sale for these near
home. And we also have a good
market for our surplus wheat, corn,
hay, potatoes and poultry.
DR.. M. Payne. An old aphorism
says, "Competition is the life of
trade" This is true in the main.
The person who strives to excel is
on the high road to success, and
will make it if health and life be al
lowed him. Competition has built
railroads in close proximity to and
parallel with navigable streams.
This increases trade by reducing
the charges of the common carrier,
and in the end benefits the producer.
The retail merchant, these fast times
can sit at his own desk and make
purchase of drummers, and have the
goods on his shelves in less time than
1t took in former times, to go and
purchase them, and save ticket fare
both ways. This is a benefit to the
consumer. Drummers are net such
nuisances as rated by some. Farm
implements can be had the same
way, not only saving freights but
the charges of middle men too.
We're it not for the rivalry of the
common carriers they would extort
by their shrewdness about all the
profits of the producers, and reduce
the masses to species OF serfdom,
and beget classes in our population
as in China and some other countries.
This in turn would place education
facilities in reach Of only the favor
ed few, and do but little other good
than keep the sciences alive. Put
all upon an equality by competition:
then those who by choice become
serfs have no grounds for complaint.
All sections have their advantage.
If one section by development
outstrips another it is certainly in
titled to the benefits. If the north
west with Il limey soil to aid availa-
bility of plant food by reducing all
refuse matter to humus, and her
level plains always exposed to the
sun, (another favorable thing for
wheat growing) can produce more
bushels than we, then we must look
about for our advantages. We find
we can make a better wheat berry
than they; one that will make more
and better -four We also have
sources of plant food that they have
not. We have more forest growth
to supply material for humus than
they have. With proper care we
have as good country for the
cultivated grasses as they, and
likely many other undeveloped ad-